the open door

There is no right or wrong.  There are no mistakes.  There is only experience.  And all experience is the doorway to Truth.  With Truth as its goal, for the open mind, the willing mind, the mind that is present, the mind that seeks, all paths lead to God.

stormbird

It was super windy at the lake yesterday.  I sat watching a bird dive beneath the waves.  She stayed below for so long it made me fear for her.  But she resurfaced, sometimes far away from where she vanished.  I wondered what she found below.  Was the bird that dived the same bird that emerged after that journey beneath?  I knew I was afraid of losing myself by diving below, by going deep.  That I would no longer be me.  Yet she had no fear.  She emerged renewed.  She appeared the same and yet it seemed she had changed.  Could she teach me to dive?  Do I want to learn?

Another, a seagull, hovered above.  Despite the constant driving wind he moved steadily forwards.  I marveled as he progressed despite the insistence of the elements that he retreat.  As I observed I began to see that he expended no effort, didn't fight it, he wasn't trying, he simply, patiently met it head on.  Not once did he flap his wings, but constant, subtle adjustments to his body, his shape, his attitude, somehow allowed him to ride the howling air slowly towards his goal.  It made no sense to my mind. Surely he had no choice in his direction.  He was so small, the world so big.  Then, watching him, I suddenly understood that only from my limited perspective did the world appear to be an impediment to his success, to his progress.  It appeared to me as though all the forces of nature were resisting him and yet he saw that not.  Effortlessly he harnessed the unstoppable power that appeared to be against him, gently accepting it, receiving it to glide ever higher, ever forward.  He had learned to join with the world, not resist it.  He didn't resist the wind and so it didn't resist him but lifted him instead.  He had learned to be one with it, not to fight and separate himself from it.  He BECAME it and so was free within it.  He had mastered it by mastering himself.

I thought "if he can do this, then so can I".  I can't change my body, I have no feathers but I can change my mind, give it wings.  I can allow my mind to adjust, not resist.  To shift, not to fight.  To encompass, not reject. To confront the windstorm of life head on with the surety that its seemingly uncontrollable power, correctly perceived, could be transformed from the obstacle to my happiness to become the very force that propelled me towards joy, towards peace.  I could confront my fear, confront myself.  Learn to dive deep into it.  He had no fear of falling or failing.  Only his single-minded desire for the destination.  With his eye on the prize everything he encountered was translated into a means to attain it, to become it.  Could he teach me to fly?  Do I want to learn?

developing trust

If it's not happening naturally stop trying to force it. Resistance to what is is the greatest cause of conflict in this world. The truly joyful and free do not fight or struggle for peace, for joy, for abundance; this makes no sense to them. True wisdom and power come from understanding that forgiveness, acceptance and trust will open a space in your life within which miracles can occur, within which ALL THAT YOU NEED will be given to you. There is no need to MAKE it happen, you need only LET it happen. To have peace and joy simply start practicing CHOOSING peace and joy regardless of your circumstances. Practice trusting and see what happens, practice gratitude and see what happens, practice letting go of control and SEE what happens. You may say it won't work but have you ever REALLY tried to trust consistently, to accept consistently, to forgive consistently?

Your will cannot fight the Universal will although you can spend your life trying. But aligned with it your potential is limitless. Aligned with it you BECOME it. And what is not possible to One whose Self flows with the power of the Universe?

escape from suffering

Once you truly understand someone they will never upset you again. Once you truly understand yourself you will never feel invalid again. Understanding leads to compassion, compassion leads to forgiveness, forgiveness leads to acceptance, acceptance leads to freedom. 

People aren't hard to understand. We're all struggling with ourselves in some way. We all feel intrinsically invalid in some way, we all want to feel valid. ALL unloving behaviors are about trying to manage this inner conflict. Accept that, and love for others, for yourself is inevitable. It's only our resistance to no longer using someone else to justify our own feelings of invalidity that prevents us from freeing others from judgement and being free ourselves. We stubbornly want anyone, anything but ourselves to be responsible for our pain. 

All suffering is thus a self created prison. That's the tragedy of it. It's also the beauty of it. You can let go, open the door and leave at any time.