I’ll admit I had a master
a title to accept or fear…
it was foreboding to say the least
for this Western minded girl being not too sure of Eastern thought and philosophies…
Of course he told me
give me a skeptic any day, they are easier to convince
than those set in their ways of absolutes…
Furthermore he said rarely will a master take on an adult
for they have been too tainted by the corruption of the world
and are much harder to show divine mysteries
for they live in a world of fear…
This struck a resonating chord in me
you see, prior to meeting this teacher from the East
I had done a Bible study for 3 years
where I had grappled with this notion of FEAR…
Now, PRIOR to embarking on the Bible study, I knew to be free and love…
and did not wrap my mind around this notion of anything to FEAR…
Yet, I will admit as soon as this man from a distant land showed up
and told me to have NO FEAR, all of a sudden fears erupted…
It was hard too, because in Romans, I had read about all these actions that lead man astray and it was a bit fearful to contemplate, for all have fallen short, and I had to wonder was there anything to fear in the way I had lived my life…
I admit during the study, I had fears surface, yet reduced it down to there is nothing to fear if one is grounded in love…for that ultimately was the message in 1 John Chapter 4…
I wrote about it, and my writings are a testament to that…
I resolved it to, when one loves, and does no harm to self and others, there is simply nothing to fear…
So, even though I had discovered this on my own, that love and fear cannot coexist….
the words he spoke, he spoke so passionately and boldly about it was almost
like forcing a pill down my throat…
Maybe the medicine I needed at the time to make a connection
to remove my ego!
You know they say when the student is ready the master will show up, so I now wonder if this prior contemplation through Bible studies and processing of spiritual matters may have led to our meeting, for this I do know the 3 year study did foreshadow our meeting,…I say this now, but not back then, as I questioned why me back then? If I were to believe this notion, would this not be a function of my ego, thus I fought him tooth and nail, but I did listen…
For you see he told me there are compass points to live by…
No Fear, No Ego, No Judgments, Love for all people…
Not that we can ever achieve these destinations but they are destinations to strive for…
He said humans are corrupt, and I wrestled with this notion
He said humans need to seek their spiritual nature in their every waking and sleeping thought
He asked me initially as we spoke what the most important thing a human could do was, and I answered him…. it was to think, and he was well pleased with my answer and agreed it was aside from breathing…
He told me when we meet individuals, we internally are gauging if this person before us is a friend or foe, he reduced it down to, “is you my baby, or is you ain’t my baby?”
I was not too sure that was my process…I had to think on that….it sounded somewhat true, yet trivialized by his example, not sure what to think…as I do not think when I meet others, if they are or are not by baby….
Yet, I suppose we do calculate if we can trust or not trust someone to a certain degree just depending on the nature of the interactions…hence perchance there is an inner subconscious working in the mind going on to discern if someone could be a friend or foe…
Furthermore, would it not be wise to figure that out?
4/18/18
Note: I had more on my mind when I wrote this, however I stopped and planned to return to this, but now that I have, I think I shall just leave it as it is for now, other than to say a couple of things.
I know that to accept someone as a master was not something I could readily do, it was too much for me to accept, however the Bible says, you will know a prophet by if their words come true. Over the years, I have seen his words, lessons hold weight, and after all I also came to realize a master is nothing but a teacher, yet so much more. Was I the skeptic who became convinced, not too sure about that, as I walked away from his lessons so many times, only to find later much of what he taught does play out in life. Could it just be the simplicity is there to be found, if we will just open our eyes to it?
Does the world make us numb to seeing simple truths? I know for me, I either was or came to be very opposite of one who gauges if I can trust someone initially. I tend to give trust to others until they show me something in their actions toward me to cause me to remove trust. I think in some respects I have always been like this. I am not sure why?
Of course I might need to cast this notion of me being opposite aside, and contemplate if psychologically what he said is probably more the truth than I realize, as I question if I am deluded in thinking I am not like this because maybe I am at a subconscious level more than likely determining in my relations if those I meet are someone I can trust or not trust to determine at a rudimentary base level of communication and interactions if they are a friend or a foe?
I think even if this is operating at a subconscious level, I tend to observe and listen, and in most cases operate in patience, so who someone is will become manifest over time. Does this mean I am waging an effort to determine friend or foe status…I am still not totally convinced I am…I think in some respects it is a sense of knowing that to give trust to others, eventually who they are will show up, and in that I trust in the process without fear. I think there is a bit of wisdom in trusting others, in order to let them be who they are independent of whether they see me as friend or foe, and independent if I see them that way. I think it is an awareness I have that even in the seemingly lowliest of creatures we can learn something about ourselves, and life. Not that all are lowly in their actions, it is that I tend to not fear if someone is, or not for ultimately their true colors will shine forth as to who they really are.
I do not seek friendships so much, I seek to understand human nature from practically all I meet. I think his mentioning that humans are corrupt was something I found hard at first to understand, but I did come to understand we are spiritual beings living in the flesh, and it does make me realize so many live in the needs of the flesh and often pay little heed to the needs of the spiritual body.
So, in essence I think the question is we may need to ask is, are our actions a friend or a foe to ourselves, our true selves…the divine self within? It is a process to explore, and often I have sought to see the God in everything, and I think when you see the good in others, independent of whether they always act with good intentions; it does help others to turn from hurting themselves and see the good in themselves, at least some individuals who have the capacity to turn away from harming their ultimate goodness they were born with, they may need to return to, before the world shaped them to be a human in flesh.
For I tend to think if we can find the spirit within the flesh, we become a friend to our divine selves, and to others in some ways outside of the constraints of mortal limitations. I think the foe is the burden of our mortal limitations we were born to eradicate…for those wise enough to shed the skin, and its needs, and seek something more outside of the selfish needs of the flesh…especially for those seeking to discover their divine purpose in this life. I think it is trusting in divine grace and wisdom to know even if someone is a foe, that if they are treated kindly by one seeing the good in themselves, no matter if they return the good or deliver evil deeds, that eventually those deeds will be seen for what they are, and then the person has to figure out one day, if they have been a friend or foe of their very own immortal purpose. I think it is the skeptic that has capacity to sort these matters out to find absolutes.
A note of caution: for certainly there are those who are fallen and as such are not your friend. They spread misery, and come as wolves in sheep clothing, let not their misery ensnare you in their pit. I do believe however, if these soul destroyers aim to hurt you, in the end they hurt themselves more, for eventually their deeds will lead them into annihilation of their divine self. Few are brave enough to try to shake these lost souls to awaken, but the truth is sooner or later all will awaken whether it is in this life or the next.
Well, I guess I did write a bit more about this…it is a process unfolding, with many lessons to be learned at every turn, and with every living breath.
4/25/18
Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.