Love the title Sean 'remembering our innocence'. To experience the joy/awe of being without the accompanying expectation of what should or should not be arising ☘️💚🙏
I was never a big reader of the Bible, but I would have to say Psalms is my favorite part. I love how you tied this beautiful passage to the Course messages today, thank you as always ❤️
Underneath my exterior appearance, how I put myself across to other people, there is often an underlying sense of unease, a tremor of anxiety, a ripple of something mildly fearful. That sensation often raises itself to a higher volume when I have something that is outside of my normal routine. Sometimes it's just a companion that follows me where I go, sometimes, certainly in the past, it has intruded itself into my actions and guided me towards a perceived safety. It's a habit I'm learning to unlearn.
Today I'm driving to Oxford to meet my son and from there we're taking the Bus to Shepherd's Bush, in London to see a gig this evening. The thought of this has instinctively raised this habitual warning sign, to a just perceptible feeling of distress. I'm just on edge.
If, for a moment, I turn away from this intrusive underlying thought, there's a space of peace and silence, comfort and safety. Somehow these intrusive thoughts recede in volume and a sense of calm replaces. For me, where I am now, this is all I need to do (all I can do and need do).
And then, I'm reminded how great it is to spend some time with my son and have a chance to connect with him.
If today's activities involved surgery or a Funeral of a loved one, or a visit from the Tax Man, I suspect my ability to turn away from these feelings of dis-ease might be more of a challenge, but that's OK. I acknowledge that. I see an order of difficulty, but if I just turn towards this sense of peace....
For me, healing begins with clarity around the feelings - which, collectively, are the dis-ease of separation. The question became - and remains: what must I believe in order to feel this way? What do I believe is undeniably true in order to feel this (fear, anxiety, distress, frustration, anger etc)?
That led me to the voice of the ego, which essentially argues that perception is objectively real and thus capable of effect. It also argues that the body is objectively real and its wellness or lack thereof is an effect of that objectively real and causative external world.
In a phrase, ego argues that I am a body and that the world is real. And all conflict - of which those faint hints of distressing emotion are cues and signals - arises because I BELIEVE that argument, I buy into that argument, I accept that argument.
You talk about "turning away" from that and I find that phrase beautifully evocative of my own practice. It is not exactly that I deny the negativity or even reject it but that I turn gently from it, I don't get involved with it. To say with the metaphor above, I don't buy the ego's argument, I don't accept ego's argument, but - most critically - I don't FIGHT with it. I don't engage.
I turn gently away to where the peace is. And then - in the presence of peace - I hear the Teacher of God, the Holy Spirit, whose gentle guidance ALWAYS steers me in ways that calm the central nervous system, and restore to my awareness the knowledge that I am not separate from Creation, even when I forget Creation, even when I actively oppose that unity.
So that turn becomes the whole practice. There is nothing else. That's the Course. Discern between ego and Holy Spirit, and choose to listen to the Holy Spirit. The rest follows of its own accord; we need do nothing.
Thanks, always, for reading and sharing, Martin. And, father to father, one of the great joys of my life is watching my son and his band play music AND going with him to see other bands and performers. Gratitude abounds!
Douglas Harding used the phrase (there or thereabouts) to turn one's view around 180 degrees from what's 'out there' to what's 'in here', (which just happens to be the wide open space for everything 'out there' to exist in.
I like Harding a lot. He's one of the few original writers when it comes to the neo-Vedantic mode. And Richard Lang does a good job over at headless.org. Good fellow travelers.
Harding has an amazing way with words. I came across his book 'Head Off Stress' 20 Years ago and every time I re read passages his (albeit sometimes archaic) words reveal another level of meaning. Richard Lang does an Annual retreat just up the road from me in Salisbury. Plans haven't quite worked out for me attending, but maybe one day
Sean, this paragraph says it all for me" ...it is a quality of attention, a way of being present to what is present to us. It reflects our desire to know God intimately and fully and to accept nothing less. When knowledge of God is our sole objective, then the externals - be they a vexing co-worker or a breathtaking dusk - become increasingly irrelevant. We begin to understand the logic of nothing real can be threatened, nothing unreal exists." Thank you for sharing, your words resonate deeply and touch my heart....♥️
I borrowed some of your words as a springboard in my journal. Hope you don’t mind. Giving you the credit here for that which no one will ever likely see. Another reason for my thanks.☺️
Thank you Kimberley . . . I imagine it sounds at least a little familiar . . . I'm glad you're extending it into your own writing . . . thank you for being here and for sharing, I'm very grateful 🙏🙏
Love the title Sean 'remembering our innocence'. To experience the joy/awe of being without the accompanying expectation of what should or should not be arising ☘️💚🙏
Yes 🙏🙏
I was never a big reader of the Bible, but I would have to say Psalms is my favorite part. I love how you tied this beautiful passage to the Course messages today, thank you as always ❤️
You're welcome, Ginny . . . someone reminded me of it and the spirit said "write!" I'm glad it was helpful. Thanks for being here 🙏
Love,
Sean
Sean missed the Sunday meetup Grateful for you message this morning I always hear what helps me stillness is where I need to be
Thanks Jack
Thanks for reading, Jack . . . hopefully we'll catch up soon . . . 🙏🙏
Love,
Sean
Underneath my exterior appearance, how I put myself across to other people, there is often an underlying sense of unease, a tremor of anxiety, a ripple of something mildly fearful. That sensation often raises itself to a higher volume when I have something that is outside of my normal routine. Sometimes it's just a companion that follows me where I go, sometimes, certainly in the past, it has intruded itself into my actions and guided me towards a perceived safety. It's a habit I'm learning to unlearn.
Today I'm driving to Oxford to meet my son and from there we're taking the Bus to Shepherd's Bush, in London to see a gig this evening. The thought of this has instinctively raised this habitual warning sign, to a just perceptible feeling of distress. I'm just on edge.
If, for a moment, I turn away from this intrusive underlying thought, there's a space of peace and silence, comfort and safety. Somehow these intrusive thoughts recede in volume and a sense of calm replaces. For me, where I am now, this is all I need to do (all I can do and need do).
And then, I'm reminded how great it is to spend some time with my son and have a chance to connect with him.
If today's activities involved surgery or a Funeral of a loved one, or a visit from the Tax Man, I suspect my ability to turn away from these feelings of dis-ease might be more of a challenge, but that's OK. I acknowledge that. I see an order of difficulty, but if I just turn towards this sense of peace....
Thank you, Martin.
For me, healing begins with clarity around the feelings - which, collectively, are the dis-ease of separation. The question became - and remains: what must I believe in order to feel this way? What do I believe is undeniably true in order to feel this (fear, anxiety, distress, frustration, anger etc)?
That led me to the voice of the ego, which essentially argues that perception is objectively real and thus capable of effect. It also argues that the body is objectively real and its wellness or lack thereof is an effect of that objectively real and causative external world.
In a phrase, ego argues that I am a body and that the world is real. And all conflict - of which those faint hints of distressing emotion are cues and signals - arises because I BELIEVE that argument, I buy into that argument, I accept that argument.
You talk about "turning away" from that and I find that phrase beautifully evocative of my own practice. It is not exactly that I deny the negativity or even reject it but that I turn gently from it, I don't get involved with it. To say with the metaphor above, I don't buy the ego's argument, I don't accept ego's argument, but - most critically - I don't FIGHT with it. I don't engage.
I turn gently away to where the peace is. And then - in the presence of peace - I hear the Teacher of God, the Holy Spirit, whose gentle guidance ALWAYS steers me in ways that calm the central nervous system, and restore to my awareness the knowledge that I am not separate from Creation, even when I forget Creation, even when I actively oppose that unity.
So that turn becomes the whole practice. There is nothing else. That's the Course. Discern between ego and Holy Spirit, and choose to listen to the Holy Spirit. The rest follows of its own accord; we need do nothing.
Thanks, always, for reading and sharing, Martin. And, father to father, one of the great joys of my life is watching my son and his band play music AND going with him to see other bands and performers. Gratitude abounds!
Love,
Sean
Douglas Harding used the phrase (there or thereabouts) to turn one's view around 180 degrees from what's 'out there' to what's 'in here', (which just happens to be the wide open space for everything 'out there' to exist in.
I like Harding a lot. He's one of the few original writers when it comes to the neo-Vedantic mode. And Richard Lang does a good job over at headless.org. Good fellow travelers.
Harding has an amazing way with words. I came across his book 'Head Off Stress' 20 Years ago and every time I re read passages his (albeit sometimes archaic) words reveal another level of meaning. Richard Lang does an Annual retreat just up the road from me in Salisbury. Plans haven't quite worked out for me attending, but maybe one day
Peace where the "sense" of the appearances dissolve.
Yes, in the sense that this peace reveals itself beneath the unease. A sunrise (waiting for the clouds of unease to roll back in at some point) :-)
Sean, this paragraph says it all for me" ...it is a quality of attention, a way of being present to what is present to us. It reflects our desire to know God intimately and fully and to accept nothing less. When knowledge of God is our sole objective, then the externals - be they a vexing co-worker or a breathtaking dusk - become increasingly irrelevant. We begin to understand the logic of nothing real can be threatened, nothing unreal exists." Thank you for sharing, your words resonate deeply and touch my heart....♥️
You're welcome, Glenda. Thank you for reading and sharing 🙏🙏
Love,
Sean
This was a very beautiful post Sean, thank you. xxx
You bet! Hope all is well, Suzy 🙏
Love,
Sean
"In stillness we remember this, in stillness we accept this" Remember the I in me is You.
Listen with the invisible ear for the inaudible world, the kingdom of Heaven in earth is here, now. (Paraphrased from Joel Goldsmith).
We are given the reality we ask for. Thanks for the reminder to walk and listen each day with the Holy Spirit.
You're welcome, Jim. Thank you for being here 🙏🙏
Love,
Sean
❤️
I borrowed some of your words as a springboard in my journal. Hope you don’t mind. Giving you the credit here for that which no one will ever likely see. Another reason for my thanks.☺️
🙏🙏
So very beautiful. Thank you.🌸
Thank you Kimberley . . . I imagine it sounds at least a little familiar . . . I'm glad you're extending it into your own writing . . . thank you for being here and for sharing, I'm very grateful 🙏🙏
Love,
Sean