Spiritual relationship is not for the purpose of holding each other together, but rather as a mean or tool for us to come to our beloved. Our beloved is not about someone “out there” we loved but rather Love itself that is hidden from us by the falseness of the ego.
Spiritual relationship acts as a support to our journey. It brings up in us what we need to unveil, to transcend. Unlike worldly relationships, spiritual relationship is interdependent – uplifting each other rather than pulling each other down. Any relationship can be turned to a holy or spiritual relationship. We need not seek far or wait for one to come. What is already in our space will be our spiritual lesson.
We need not be binded by marriage papers to come into a spiritual relationship. We need not define a certain boundaries for our spiritual work to commence. Wherever we are, we are already in it, only when we are ready to transform all egoic patterns into lessons of the spirit. It is never about the future when conditions are permitting. It will never be, so long as the present Now is not what I am willing to face.
Relationship is not about someone or something. It is about my respond to the world. When I react instead of respond, my egoic relationship comes into place. When I take responsibility, to mean ability to respond, I am already allowing spiritual relationship to take place.
Spiritual relationship may not necessary be a smooth lovey dovey journey. In the midst of arguments, conflicts, disagreements or even fights, a moment of conscious stepping back with wisdom can be a very powerful choice of respond that is in alignment with your spiritual calling. It is innate in all of us. But seldom do we listen to that.
“Many are called but few are chosen” should be, “All are called but few choose to listen.” Therefore, they do not choose right. The “chosen ones” are merely those who choose right sooner. Right minds can do this now, and they will find rest unto their souls.
– A Course in Miracle pp44.
The spirit is awaiting my presence, patiently. My work is just to bring presence to it, by getting out of my way. I have to fully recognize that I am conditioned to come from wrong mindedness, which is the egoic pattern of existence. I have to take full responsibility of this pattern as I patiently and lovingly work with it by recognizing and understanding its presence in my life. Other than that it is not my job to remove it or try fixing it. I fully trust that when I am allowing what is to take place, I am giving myself up to something greater than me to unfold. I may call it dharma, holy spirit or whatever label I am used to, but when it comes to my fullest being, what I gain is an insight, a wisdom to the mechanics of this whole dynamism, irrespective of what label I put in.
The more I work with confidence, the more I see the potential of freedom and peace that is not found within this realm. I am the creator of all my bondage and also ultimately, freedom, and for that I choose consciously to incline myself towards what is conducive to the highest good. As I come into this space I am also bringing my highest good to the world. And so it is.
and so it must be….
…and understanding its presence in my life…
“Its presence” I take to mean the “egoic pattern of existence” resulting “wrong mindedness”.
Please do shed more lights on “understanding” it, even though it is again and again. May I “see” differently each time when looking at the “same” thing, over and over again.
To see anything the same is to mean not seeing anything at all. That’s the nature of perception – to let me see from the past rather than what is in the now. When I see you I am seeing from the perception of the past. Anything that I know is what I know from the past, and that includes all the experiences of the senses. If I ignore this fact, I am totally blind to my day to day living, or rather moment to moment living – subjugated by the perception. I will see my partner, my boss, my work, my family – everything, including myself, the same. In other words, seeing from perception is to see the effect instead of the cause.
I can’t escape or remove perception – that is the mind’s function – it enables me to remember what is in the past. When I am aware [which is in opposite to ignore (ignorance)] of the role of perception, I understand and realized that its function is to perceive. So at any moment of contact, whenever I remember, I recognized perception is working now and at this moment I choose to look beyond what perception is offering me. How? By inquiring how I am seeing it, instead of what I am seeing. How I am seeing an issue is my perceived idea, it makes me see things “my way”.
If this little recognition can make me look at issues differently, consider what can a long term observation on the mind can do to me. The miracle is having the will or wisdom to choose to observe the mind and in the process allows me to see a new perspective. But I can only do that when I recognize perception is at work. Like it or not, I am choosing each moment, choosing unconsciously or consciously. I can allow my past conditional intention to lead my life or I intent consciously to live my life. That is what it mean by choosing from the ego or from the spirit.
To fall into perception without giving it a thought creates my personality, the “egoic pattern”.