During a contemplation last week, I realized how fortunate I’ve been to have been surrounded by love my entire life. I took that for granted for most of my life, not realizing how special it was. During this contemplation, I had several revelations I would like to share.
When I met my wife, Nancy, for the first time, I fell instantly in love. At that moment, I realized that I had never been in love before. Real love transcends time, space, and logic. It simply is.
I felt complete. Little did I know at the time that love is never complete. It is constantly expanding. My first realization of this was when our first child was born. When you hold that special soul in your arms, you feel as if your heart could burst. That love continued to expand through the years as we experienced this with two more children.
My point is this. Love is a never-ending journey. Whether we are here in the physical or elsewhere, even if we wanted to, we cannot escape it because everything in existence is sourced from God’s love.
Grief is a love trainer. It’s akin to starting a workout program where your trainer tells you to forget what you think you know and do this instead. Little by little, through the aches and pains, you start to become a new you. You become stronger, more flexible, and can take on new projects you’ve put off for too long. Your world becomes more effortless. You have more energy and a better outlook on life. Your light begins to shine again.
Grief is your spiritual trainer. Not one you chose, but one nonetheless. And like a fitness trainer, it breaks you down before it can build you up. And grief is a trainer you can’t fire. You’re stuck with the task master. You can try to fight it or run from it. None of this will work. If you want to gain all the gifts grief has in store for you, simply immerse yourself in it. Go with the flow. Allow it to ravage you. This is the greatest of grief’s gifts.
It cleanses the soul in preparation for the new life you are about to be born into. A life filled with new adventures and endless possibilities. A life that has been handed to you with blessings from God. The only question that remains is, what will you do with it? It’s entirely in your hands. Make it a miraculous one.
89.9% of humans cry at birth. Noncrying after birth had 100% sensitivity for nonbreathing infants after birth. Taking this into account it is highly prevalent for humans to cry at birth when we survive it.
WHY?
Because the physical is extraordinarily harsh compared to any of the higher planes. What simile could I use to express this? I’ll let you determine this. Think of the happiest, most joyful event in your life. Relish in it. Now do the same for the worst moment in your life. And that is nothing compared to what we experience at birth.
Now there is an important reason for this. The physical plane is where we as souls choose to visit. Why would we do this? There are multiple reasons for this decision. The prime reason is so we can burn off karma quickly, allowing us to attain higher states of consciousness more rapidly. Did you catch that? We made this choice.
Why would we be that stupid?
Because as souls we know this is just an illusion. This life is no different than a child playing with a doll. It doesn’t matter in the least what this physical body does or doesn’t accomplish beyond learning to become a vehicle for divine love. That is why humans struggle throughout their lifetimes. They have forgotten they are souls. A soul brighter than ten thousand suns. A coworker with God.
What happens when we become a vehicle for divine love?
The world becomes a better place. Not that anything changed. You changed. You see love all around you. And everything from the tiniest molecule to the tallest mountain feeds off this divine energy you share without even being aware of it. People smile more when they are with you. They become aware something is happening to them, but they can’t quite explain it. Without their knowledge, they become vehicles for this divine love. They may smile more. Be more loving. Enjoy the simple treasures life on earth has to offer.
Venus ignored the gusting winds that were trying to turn her long dress into a sail. It did not make her descent down the steep, grassy hill to the shoreline any easier. She was consumed by the Siren’s call, “Come with me. Sail the cosmic seas,” which held her in a hypnotic spell. She was helpless to ignore it. She was no longer in control.
As she neared the shore an oarless rowboat appeared from the mist. “Really? This is the best you can do?” Venus questioned her unseen tormentor. “We are going to sail cosmic seas in this thing?”
No answer. No reply was forthcoming. None was needed as a spectral form appeared in the boat, holding his hand out to encourage her to board.
Okay. I’m either losing my mind or dreaming. In either case, I can either cower and run for cover or accept the possibility I am about to have a grand adventure. Hm-m-m, what to do?
Now Venus was never one to run from a challenge. At the age of twenty-five, she had already traveled most of the globe and had extricated herself from some precarious situations.
This should be interesting, thought Venus as she grabbed the helping hand and entered the boat. She could not help but notice the wind instantly died down as she stepped into the boat. At the same time, the spectral form morphed into a man. He appeared to be fortyish with short-cropped black hair and eyes so dark they seemed to contain all of creation within them. Even though he wore a monk’s clothing from centuries ago she could tell he was chiseled. Despite his odd appearance he looked familiar to her.
The man spoke. “Hello, Venus. It is nice to formally meet you.”
“Do I know you? Have we met before?” she asked.
“Many times. Am I that unforgettable?” he said in jest.
For the first time in her life, Venus was speechless. I would never have forgotten meeting this guy, would I? she thought. “Okay. Which one of my friends put you up to this?”
This was greeted by a guttural laugh from the monk. “It was a group effort. You have many more friends than you are aware of. They all have your best interests at heart.”
“Okay…okay. I’m getting weirded out here. Can you get me back to shore please?”
“Look around Venus. You will find there is no shore. But you may leave if you desire.”
Venus looked down. The boat was gone. The water was gone. They now stood on a path leading towards a white marble building that appeared to be…a temple? I must be dreaming. I just need to wake up she thought as she pinched her arm.
“Take a step back. Look around you. Does anything look familiar?” said the monk.
Venus took a few deep breaths to calm herself. This helped her to realize that she did not feel threatened in any way. As she took in her surroundings a sense of familiarity began to sink in. Not the now I remember this place so much as I feel as if I have been here before. “Kind of,” was her reply.
“I don’t know your name, but you know mine,” she said.
“I apologize. Rebazar Tarz at your service,” he said with the slightest bow.
She could not explain to herself why his name seemed familiar to her. “I have to say sir that this scenery does not look like any cosmic seas I might have imagined.”
“Hm-m-m. So, you have imagined cosmic seas?” he said with a smile.
“I guess so. Like I am floating in space. Bodiless.”
“How did that make you feel?”
“At first it scared me. Then I had a profound sense of freedom. I never told anyone about this before.”
“Excellent! You will make a fine pupil. Let me tell you about myself and those that work alongside me. Many others and I are what many would call Godmen. Simply put, we have reached the state of God-consciousness. Our only objective now is to help others do the same. We have been helping you along the way for many lifetimes.”
Venus could not help herself. She broke out in laughter. “You have the wrong girl. I am not religious. You need to go save someone else.”
Rebazar laughed along with her. “We are not in the business of saving anyone. Nobody needs to be saved. We are simply guides that walked the path and share our knowledge with those that are ready to attain higher states of consciousness. This knowledge is never shared with the masses. Most are not ready to walk on a path that challenges your every step. Nor is it smooth sailing. But the destination is indescribable.”
“You have a choice to make Venus. One is you can return to your globetrotting on the planet earth. I can tell you now all the seeking in the world will not satisfy you. You are a restless soul that needs more. Your second choice is to allow me and other guides to help you obtain the greatest of gifts. To know that you are soul. The choice, as always, is yours to make.”
“How do I know you are who you say you are?” she asked.
Instantaneously she was alongside Rebazar looking at the Milky Way galaxy from a point of view that somehow made them appear to be above it. He points to a star and says, “That is your sun.” Immediately they were hovering over the sun while he pointed to Earth. “That is your planet. Keep in mind this is the least spectacular plane of existence created by God.”
Upon returning to…wherever she was, Venus could not find her tongue. How does one respond to this?
“The offer is good for all eternity, Venus. As I said before, it is always a choice each of us must make. Only the bold inherit heaven. It is not an easy path,” said the serious Master.
Venus had been in predicaments like this many times. The first time she went ski jumping. Sky diving. Swimming with sharks. She could have turned her back on all of them. Venus never turned her back on anything exciting.
“I’m in.”
“Walk with me. Your next classroom session is about to begin,” said the monk as they walked towards the Golden Wisdom Temple.
What makes for a great illusion? One that is so convincing you have no doubt it is real. Any master illusionist who has mastered the art the illusion will tell you that confidence and attitude will help sell the illusion. It is easy to sell the trick to an audience that is a willing participant. But the illusion itself is what stands the test of time.
This is not unlike what we as souls create for ourselves time and time again. We, souls, are a fun-loving, playful, experimental bunch. Not unlike a child. As beings that have eternity to entertain ourselves, we must create our own entertainment.
Children role-play to experience both sides of their imaginations. One day a group of young boys could be playing cops and robbers and they will experience what it is like to be the robber being shot and killed and the next day being the cop doing the killing. And they are highly creative and have fun with both roles. They go home as friends, having had a great time “just playing”.
Then, sadly, they grow to be adults, and most will lose their playful self to the illusion they themselves created…their grownup lives. All of us without exception create the world we live in. It is simply an illusion that seems so real we find ourselves trapped within it. Only with the help of good friends we have known through countless incarnations can we eventually break free.
Now, what I mean by good friends is this. We as souls attract like-minded beings to play with. These souls are often good friends and family members in your physical incarnations because you all like to play the “cops and robbers” game. One of your best friends may be the one that murders you in this lifetime because that was the experience you both wished to have this time around.
I know what I am proposing may seem blasphemous to many. So be it. Every spiritual master that has walked this earth has been considered a blasphemer in his/her lifetime. Not that I am proposing I am one. I, like you, am no different than them. They simply are more evolved souls trying to tell us to break through the greatest of illusions, that being that we are fatal creatures that die. Nothing could be further from the truth.
We are eternal, loving entities on a journey to God-realization.
Having gotten that out of the way the question that remains is how do we go about our daily lives once this realization dawns upon us? This is the tricky part. We are so utterly consumed by this great illusion that all of us will need help from one that has seen behind the curtain.
No, I am not referring to some religious figure. I am talking about a real person or persons in your life that through their example they take you by the hand and expose the illusion for what it is. One that is close to you and demonstrates a love that rises above the pettiness that often shows its ugly face in human encounters. A divine love that touches everyone around them.
If you think hard, I am sure all of you have met someone in your life that fits the bill. A person who rarely has anything bad to say. Easily forgives. Smiles so bright it hurts your eyes. Seems never to be controversial. Makes you grateful just to be in their presence.
I have been fortunate enough to have known several such souls in my life. But none more than the woman I married. For 47 years we spent a wonderful life together until she chose her end to this particular illusion of hers by creatively using dementia as her excuse. Like she did for me every day in our shared world we created she is most likely lighting the way for me towards our next adventure. I cannot wait to see what’s in store for me.
Needless to say, this scenario crushed me. Tore at my very existence. For two weeks I could barely breathe. No, I did not want to breathe. And then, on that fourteenth day, and no doubt with her assistance, I had an awakening. This is MY illusion. This is the role I created. This is what in my make-believe play world I wanted to experience. Now, we can laugh together again at how much fun this adventure has been for us.
Faster than a hummingbird’s wingbeat speaking cosmically, we will again be together, planning our next adventure. But I will insist on perhaps both of us dying together in a crash while flying a glider over the Grand Canyon at sunset. Doesn’t that sound like fun? I know we would both be laughing our asses off.
What if everything you believe in is a lie? How could this be you ask? How can I have lived a lifetime, no matter how short or long, worked so hard and learned so many of life’s lessons and have someone tell me what I have come to believe is a lie? Well, let’s talk about that.
Did you also believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny? How did that work out for you? You were convinced by the people (most often family members) that you trusted the most in your life that they were absolutely real. How could you not when presents were under the tree, money was under your pillow, and eggs were hidden around the house?
What happened along the way that swayed your belief in these fantasies? There is a one-word answer for this…awareness. That’s right folks, as your awareness grew your beliefs changed. I am just guessing here but I bet some of you thought that one word would be knowledge. But here is the kicker; gaining knowledge is not the same as attaining awareness. You can have an IQ of 170 with all the knowledge to win Jeopardy every day but not be aware of the simplest of things.
Let us ponder that last sentence and put it into context with one’s beliefs. Let us use a college student whose major is history for example. Let us assume she is studying at one of the best universities in the world and has at her disposal amazing reference sources and world-famous professors. We will call her Sue. Sue has worked extremely hard for her straight A’s and has learned to have complete faith in her instructors to provide the best possible answers to her queries. As her status grows in the community and others begin to seek her expertise her belief in the knowledge that she has gained becomes resolute.
But has she gained “awareness” of the lives she has studied in books? Now she may have the knowledge of the struggles the first settlers in America may have gone through. She may have even spent time working at a historic site churning butter and dressed as a Pilgrim. But through all her efforts, she has not gained a single ounce of awareness of what went through the minds of these brave and often desperate men and women who risked everything to start a new life in an unknown land. No book or lecture can create this awareness and no life experiences she may yet have, even if they are similar in nature, can give her that awareness. Why do you ask?
Because the truth is subjective. Each one of us will experience truth from our own perspective. You may believe lobster is the best food on the planet and I may believe it is a gift from Satan. Neither of these opinions is true, but we both believe them to be so. You can believe Fox News is the best cable news station and I could believe MSNBC is. This does not make either opinion true; it just makes it our opinion. What it does make it is our truth, well maybe. We must first wrap our heads around the fact we have a way too much clutter up there.
You see, we live in a world of duality…night and day, left and right, right, and wrong, up and down, wealth and poverty, good and evil, love and hate…you get the idea. If we stand back to back and someone tells us to point to the left, we will be pointing in different directions. If you are in the Arctic and look up and I am in the Antarctic and look up, we will be both be looking up in different directions. How could we both be right, or left? Simply put because the physical universe is one of illusion. Like any good illusion, it convinces you that what you see is real. The ironic thing about this is that to find the solution to the magic trick most of us delve into more mysteries of illusion with eyes wide open and minds closed.
How do we as humans, apparently trapped in these physical bodies, see beyond these illusions? Let me ask you a simple question which I ask each of you to ponder. If God (proving this to you in some way without a doubt) came to you and said, “I have one command for you, BE HAPPY”, could you? Would you even know how to?
Let me take this one step further. Can you be happy for a single moment? That does not seem like such a hard thing to do. Does it? Right now, this very moment, can you be happy? And the next moment, and the next? See where I am going with this? It is much easier to attain a transformative state of being by living in the now. We as soul have been blessed with two tools to wend our way through the illusions, ATTITUDE, AND ATTENTION.
What we place our attention on and the attitude we take towards this will determine how successful we are at discovering the truth within ourselves, as ultimately this is the only truth we can know. This is not an easy path and most humans would rather be slaves to the beliefs and conditions that surround them in their daily lives. It is the meek that inherit the earth. It is the bold that inherit heaven. It takes the willingness to step out of your comfort zone and strength to let go of everything you hold as true in order to break the barriers established by the illusions you have been a slave to all your life.
Are you ready to begin a journey of discovery? Are you willing to make hard choices that may shake you to your core? Have you ever had A-HA moments of enlightenment that have seemed to come from nowhere? When you choose the freedom that comes from never knowing what the next moment may bring, each moment in your life is one of wonder. Can you imagine what that would be like?
Good, because that is the first step to gaining awareness. I would ask that you ponder this short article and then revisit it in a couple of months and see if your point of view on this matter has altered. Please leave any responses as they are all welcome to the discussion. There will be more regarding this matter in future posts. This may all be a lie.
