The Material World is a Realm of both Order & Chaos. There is a dynamic tension between the two, which generates obstacles. A good attitude to take towards these obstacles, is that they are here to make things interesting. With that attitude, you'll never be crushed by anything that happens, and are very likely to figure out the solution to anything that comes up.
An important Pattern I've noticed, shows when the major problems will arise. When a person drifts along through life, never questioning anything, and merely doing what they are told, and believing just what they are told to believe, then things seem to move fairly smoothly for them. BUT, such a person won't be making any Spiritual Advancement that way, since they are drifting along a negative stream.
Then, let's say that, that person notices that there is a whole lot more to Life, than they have been told, and they decide to find out what that is. It is at this point that they will stop flowing along with the negative stream, and begin to find out about the positive stream, and attempt to get into it. Guess what happens then? Muwhahahaha! I bet you've been here...
Between the positive stream, and the negative stream, there is a whole lot of turbulance. While in the negative stream, one doesn't really deal with their Karma very much at all, so it simply accumulates. But, when one decides to switch from the negative stream to the positive stream, then one becomes vulnerable to all sorts of calamities. At this point a person doesn't really know how the Universe operates, (so they don't know how to apply the Cosmic Laws properly), and suddenly they are exposed to the Momentum of everything that they had NOT been dealing with before.
So when a person first sets their feet upon The Path, they usually get creamed. I've been through it, and I've seen enough other people go through it, that I now recognize it as one of Life's Patterns. It really is quite dependable. As a matter of fact, that is what our species is going through right now on this planet. Humanity is on the verge of a Great Spiritual Awakening, and just as it is for an individual, so it is for all of us together. um... you've probably noticed.
When a person emerges from the turbulence, having learned their lessons, then they enter into the positive stream. Living in the positive stream, is where you get to be consciously creative with the things that you do. This is a great Joy, but it is not without obstacles, since there is always that dynamic tension in the Material World, generated by the fact that this is a realm of both Order & Chaos. The challenges you meet on the positive stream, may be even greater, than what you deal with in the turbulence, but they exist on a wider scale beyond your personal Ego, and the rewards for solving them are the Brightest Blessings of all.
These animated Moving Mandalas are very large files. Please click on the pic, and wait for it to load. The Contemplation will be very enabling, carrying your Mind beyond the mundane world
There are schools of Mystical thought that say that Spiritual progress should be measured by what you lose. That's a difficult concept for the Western mind to wrap itself around. So let me put it to you this way :
Let's say you've got a really nice dependable car. It has a nice design, the engine runs well, and it gets good mileage, BUT you haven't washed the thing since you bought it. Since it looks filthy, the cops tend to pull you over rather frequently, (they do do that, you know). Your neighbors don't want to talk with you, because your car makes the neighborhood look trashy. You go to work & do a good job, but your co-workers keep at a distance, and perhaps you get skipped over for a raise or a promotion.
All this stuff happens, because you've never washed your car. So what is this dirt on the car? It is the trappings of Ego. There is nothing wrong with the car itself. It's fine. It's a good car. It's just that a filthy Ego can really stink. That's why mean people suck. They've got dirt, & dead leaves, and bird crap encrusted all over themselves, and why would anybody in their right mind want to be near any of that?
Engaging in Spritual Practices is like washing your filthy car, and making it clean. You can even go further, and do Deep Meditation. That's like washing your car, and then waxing it, until it really shines. It's the same car, but the appearance is a whole lot different. This is why you lose things as you go along on the Spiritual Path... and what you lose, is all stuff you never needed anyway.
These animated Moving Mandalas are very large files. Please click on the pic, and wait for it to load. The Contemplation will be very enabling, carrying your Mind beyond the mundane world
Whatever you are looking for, that is what you will find.
If you are looking for Truth, Beauty, Love, or Wisdom, you will find those things. If you are looking for lies, ugliness, hate, or foolishness, you will find those things as well. If you are looking for flaws, or mistakes, then you will find those things, too. And it doesn't matter if any of this stuff is real, or not, because you will find it anyway... even if it is not there.
You may think in your mind that you are looking for something, when actually you are not. You might be looking for what you believe is there, instead of looking at what is there. The mind can convince itself of anything. The mind can make the Truth appear to be false, and what is false to appear true. The mind can also see the Truth, and know what is false. The mind can convince itself that it makes decisions, and it does this regularly.
It is the Heart which makes decisions, and what you hold in your Heart determines what those decisions will be. The mind may think it is looking for something, when the Heart has decided otherwise, and the mind cannot prevail against that. The mind will only convince itself that it has chosen, but what you hold in your Heart will decide what the mind perceives.
Thus, to really know what you are looking for, you must examine what you are holding in your Heart.
If your Heart holds fear, then you will find fear, and fail in everything you try to do, no matter how hard you try. If your Heart holds greed, then you will find greed wherever you look, and corrupt everything you touch. If your Heart holds malice, then you will destroy everything you think you love.
Give up fear, which isn't to say that you shouldn't be prudent. Give up greed, and you will discover what true wealth is. Give up malice, and you will find Peace.
Look into your Heart, and if you don't like what you see, then throw it away...
These animated Moving Mandalas are very large files. Please click on the pic, and wait for it to load. The Contemplation will be very enabling, carrying your Mind beyond the mundane world
